'I think people should recognise that I am also one of the best defenders in the world and not just talk nonsense'. Before this game they said we are exhausted but we showed in extra-time we had fresher legs than them.

Lovren was able to shackle Harry Kane for the majority of the 120 minutes, and was asked after the game how Croatia have so much talent within their ranks. "We couldn't control the ball or control situations", said Lovren.

"I really don't understand these questions, always looking back to where I made some mistakes", he said.

And he is delighted that this current Croatian generation have finally lived up to, and now surpassed, the standards of the 1998 team which reached the semi-finals. And Lovren insists they are not scared for the French, who will be favourites to fit the trophy for the second time, 20 years after beating the Croats in the last four.

'We have the chance to do something better, and hopefully we can do it on Sunday.

"But we enjoy to play against big teams, as we showed against Argentina, and have nothing to lose". He deserves, if we win this World Cup, the Ballon d'Or'. "He knows what I went through".